Process for producing decorated surfaces



Feb 2, 1937-, K; ElcHs-rD-r 2,069,227

PROCESS OR P RODUCINGVDECORATED SURFACES Filed Nov. 16,' wasl y 3mm y 7%/ Egg/m5 i 'rfw #Vaag/WM Patented F eb. 2, 1937 PATENT OFFICE PROCESS FOR PRODUCING DECORATED SURFACES Karl Eichstdt, Berlin, Germany, assignor to Oxford Varnish Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Application November 16, 193s, serial No. 698,328

2 Claims.

This invention relates to a process for producing a decorated surface, and is especially concerned with the production of articial marble, tile and the like.

o It is well known'that articial marble or other stone may be manufactured by mixing `substances which will readily harden, pouring or otherwise placing such mixture into a form, and removing f the form after the mixture has hardened orset. One of the well known mixtures is cement. After the form is removed, the surface of the hardened object is decorated to simulate a natural stone.

It has been found however, that it is dicult and costly to decorate` the surfaces of such vimitation or artificial stone and even when such stone is decorated such an artificial stone surface finish is not permanent. f'

The general object of the present invention is to provide a method of decorating artificial stone surfaces to simulate natural stones.

A further object is to provide a method of f -manufacturing artificial stone or the like, which method will provide the artificial stone with a surface decorated to simulate a natural stone orv the color will sink into the pores and after the `evaporationof the vehicle, the surface can be covered with a topcoat depending upon the re- 40 sistance required in the nished product, such as the resistance to water or oil. The process is especially vadapted forthe production of patterns with the intaglio process, since the intaglio process iswell adapted for handling colors of this type.

By using colors which are free from greases and oils, and which preferably have a spirit or nitrocellulose vehicle as above set out; much of the difficulty of decorating artificial stone is eliminated. However, even then the process 50 when put into actual practice has been of limited use due to the lack of practical colors.

To enlarge the range of colors that may be used to practical advantage, I find it advantageous to depart from the usual process of applying the 55 colors. to the surfaces to be decorated and pro- Germany November 26, 1932 vide a method for applying the colors to the artificial stone in an indirect manner. This therefore is one of the objects o f my invention.

Briefly my improved method of applying de. signs in color to artificial stone comprises print- 5 ing or otherwise applying color to a highly y,polished or other surface from which the color is readily removed .after the drying of the vehicle used in the color, then by using raw and/or par-- tially prepared materials, I form the slab itself over said colored surface, and after the formation of the slab is complete, I strip the slabwiththe color adhering to it from the surface on which the color was originally laid. The surface may then be treated in the ,usual manner with a top or wearing coat of varnish or lacquer.

Referring now to the drawing, Fig. 1, wherein I illustrate the various steps of my invention, is a section through a polished plate; Fig. 2 illustrates diagrammatically an offset printing or decorative press, placing the pattern'in color on the polished slab or sheet; Figs. 2 to 6 inclusive are sections in planes similar to Fig. 1, but illustrating the article after diierent steps of my improved method have been performed; Figs. '7 and 8 are similar to Figs. 3 and 6, but are representative of a modification of the method shown in Figs. 1 to 6, inclusive.

Referring again to the drawing, I Il represents a slab or plate from which color, when dried thereommay readily be stripped. I prefer to use for this purpose a highly polished plate, as, for instance, glass. I then apply the design in color to this polished surface II of the plate I0.

In Fig. 2, I diagrammatically show a printing or decorating press which may be used to print the design on the polished plate. As shown, the press includes a master plate or roll I2 having a variegated indented surface, to which pigment is supplied by a fountain roll I4. The lower region of the fountain roll rotates in a fountain I5, which is supplied with color in any well known manner. The surplus ink or color is removed or scraped from the surface of the master Iroll by a scraper or doctor blade I6. 'I'he scraped surface of the master roll then contacts with a rubber or gum offset roll I1 to effect a transfer of the color from the interstices to the surface to be decorated. The offset roll in turn contacts with the polished surface I I of the slab I0 to effect the transfer of the color I 9 fromthe offset roll to the plate. The plate I0 is supported in any suitable manner such, as for instance, on a compression roll 20. A suitable scraper 2| removes any color remaining on the offset roll after the transfer to the polished surface II has been effected. This 55 type of press has been chosenfor ease of illustra# tion. However, any type of press may be used, or the color may be applied directly to the polished surface I I by hand.

After the design color I9 on the plate I0 has dried, I pour or otherwise place on the decorated plate I0 an articial stone composition. Such compositions are well known at the present time and need not be herein described in detail. Many types of composition contain materials such as cement, lime or plaster of Paris, and are poured on the plate as a plastic mass and -upon drying lform a hard substance simulating stone. Other materials, such as gypsum, pulpwood and the like are compressed to solidify them. I I

In Fig. 2, I illustrate the plate I0 after the design or color I9 has been applied. 'I'he color on the plate I0 is then dried and vthe plate placed in a suitable form 25. shown in Fig. 3. The form is then filled with the composition which will form the artificial stone. After the composition has dried or otherwise become set, the form is removedand the solidied Imass is stripped from the plate I0, the color or design I9 adhering to the mass.v When the plate I0 comprises a highly polished plate, such as polished glass, the surface of the artificial stone will have a high degree of polish, depending upon the degree of polish of the plate Iii and the fineness of the material used in the composition. When the plate I0 is polished glass and when the composition includes cement, the surface of the nished slab will impart to it a high glass such as is desired on artitlcial marble 'Ihe colors used are preferably such that theywill not be affected by the materials forming the composition stone, and will have greater adhesiveness to stone than to lthe supporting surface. Likewise, the vehicle used in the colors must be such that it will not be ailected in any way by the material forming the artificial stone. In instances where the composition contains cement or lime, it is preferable that the vehicle contains no oils, fats, resins or gums, but-that it' be composed of casein glue, silicate of soda, and the like.

In Figs. 7 and 8, I illustrate a modified form of my invention -in which the. plate Illa is a highly polishedmetallic plate and is rst decorated by any .well known process with color which is indicated at l0, next a ground of base coat 4I is' applied to provide a background for the colors and to prevent the composition forming the artiiicial stone from appearing through the design. These color coats are dried and the plate Ilia placed in a press 42. The material to comprise the articial stone is next placed onvthe colored surface of the slab and pressure is applied to compress the material to form the slab 45. After the material has been compressed and has set or hardened, it is removed from the plate lila. the colors adhering to the material due to the presence of adhesives or the like in the composition, such as, for instance, the presence of glue or similar materials in a composition containing pulpwood or other fibrous materials. In some instancesas- 'phaltic cements may be used as a binder for the simulation-of a natural stone, comprising reproducing the natural stone by a photogravure method, transferring such reproduction in color to portions of a polished surface, applying a layer of pigment over the entire surface and 'over said color, applying a plastic material to said coated surface, solidifying said material by the application of pressure thereto, there being a greaten degree of adhesion between said material and said pigment and between said pigment layer and said reproduction than there kis between said color and/or said reproductionV and said surface, and subsequently removing said solidified material and coatings as a unit from said surface.

' 2. The method of producing artificial mate'- rials having artistic designs simulating the natural appearance of the surface to beimitated, which comprises making` a photographic reproduction of the article to'be simulated, producing a printing member from the reproduction, applyingA pigment to such printing member, removing the excess pigment therefrom, transferring the pigment from the printing member to a highly polished surface, such pigment corresponding in color to one of the colors of the natural article being simulated and-being in the Aform of an open pigment layers,- solidifying said plastic material to form a hardened slab by the application of y pressure thereto, and subsequently removing all of said layers as a unit from said polished surface.

KARL EroHs'rDT. 

